Surgical treatment of haemangioma in infants

Haemangiomas usually can be identified by their clinical course. They are characterised by presentation at birth or shortly thereafter, and a rapid proliferative phase over the first 12 months. The haemangioma then usually stabilises and slowly involutes over a period of 5–7 years. For a long time, surgery has been limited to complicated cases, and correcting after-effects following involution. Nevertheless, aesthetic, psychological or functional prejudices may justify early surgery.

We conducted a retrospective study of patients treated between 1995 and 2001. A total of 31 patients with facial and cervical haemangiomas were studied. For each, the type of lesion and its topography, age and operative indications, surgery, postoperative complications and aesthetic and functional results have been considered.

Thirty-one haemangiomas were operated. The average age was 30 months (1–60 months). After an average follow-up of 3 years, the results were very good in 20%, good in 66%, and fair in 14% of cases.

Early curative surgery of haemangioma before spontaneous involution, and before school-age is justified because of social and psychological considerations in infants and their family.